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I have a son who was diagnosed with autism at 31/2 years old. Now he is 6 years old. He presents impulsivity, poor arousal, attention and focus. He is ALWAYS on the go and will not stick around and listen to someone finish his sentence. Has anyone had that symptom? I am looking for solutions on how to get him to stay and focus on what I am trying to say.
Answer Summary
Members shared strategies for helping children with autism and ADHD symptoms stay focused and listen, with several parents describing the... Read more
Yep - we took our sons out of chaotic areas and put our hands by their eyes (like horse blinders - to take away the peripheral vision) and waited until they calmed down and seemed to be listening. Then we'd say what we needed to say and asked him to repeat it back to us. Sometimes it had to be done in a chaotic area if we couldn't take them away (like at the fair). For my very young children (all three of my kids have ADHD), I HAD TO use one of those bear backpacks with the leash to keep them from running away from me when we were in crowed places. At the park, if one would take off, which left the other one on a swing, I would have to drag both kids kicking screaming to the car, because I couldn't chase one child and abandon the other. Let's just say that my ADD/autistic child was the one that had to wear the backpack leash even at the park and non-crowded places.
@A MyAutismTeam Member. Thanks for all the wonderful input ! Very encouraging to see someone who has been through it, used a method faithfully and actually has reaped the benefits because of their consistency . I am encouraged to try what you have suggested and be prepared to use it for the long term till I see results. Sometimes we are creatures of instant gratification, a method that does not work a few times may work in the long run with faithful implementation.
@A MyAutismTeam Member @A MyAutismTeam Member excellent conversation guys, really helpful. I will try some of these methods x
@A MyAutismTeam Member (part 2)....We've even tried to take it away to see if it helps with his issue of feeling agitated. Even though he was on medication for ADD, I still did what I could to accommodate him during homework, by keeping the room quiet and distraction free. My kids are 8, 12, and 14 years old. Over the years I went from putting my hands by their eyes to being able to communicate that I needed them to focus and listen to me, to have them physically stop what they are doing, and to repeat back what I told them. I know right now, it is very tiresome to do the horse blinders and it may look funny for those who don't understand what we're going through, but if you keep it up and it becomes routine, you can improve it by giving medication when your child is at the right age, asking him to tell you what he heard, and asking him what is the first thing he's going to do...2nd thing...3rd thing..., you eventually won't have to do the horse blinders and you'll be at the stage I'm at. One more thing, when my children tried to rip my hands away from their face or left the room before I was done talking (mentally or physically), I'd try it one more time and if the bad behavior (rebelling, saying no, refusing to cooperate) continued, then they'd get a time out (remove them from doing what they want to do). That also motivated them to take me seriously as well as positive praise when they listened and followed directions. Dealing with ADD, ADHD, ASD children is tiring and we are only human, but just know that you're not alone - that other parents are dealing with the same struggle and if you keep up your routine, it will get better (maybe not as quick as your friends' typical children), eventually. :)
@A MyAutismTeam Member would you say that your methods have helped to improve their focus and concentration? Have you seen improvement in the long run?
I totally agree with what you are doing and have been doing the same thing you are doing for a long time now. However, I am getting tired of constantly doing the 'horse blinder' prompt as he seems to need it all the time !
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